Statistics for the 2001 “Truth Trackers”-themed Vacation Bible School (VBS) are in and the news is good.
Based on figures taken from the Annual Church Profile, total VBS enrollment was 3,230,493, up by more than 400,000 from the previous year, reported Becky Martin, VBS ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
James Blakeney, associate for preschool/children leadership in the office of Sunday School for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said only a third of Alabama’s 3,200 Baptist churches and missions had filled out the VBS report for 2001. But those that did reported 5,002 professions of faith. Of the Alabama churches that filled out the annual church profile, 2,194 reported holding VBS, with an enrollement of 250,011.
VBS has traditionally added thousands to the Sunday School prospect lists of churches. In 2001, this was once again the case. There was 289,679 people added to the prospect lists. Of these prospects, at least 14,335 came from Alabama.
Martin also said that in 2001, 63 percent of churches having VBS did their program during the evening. Blakeney said 60 percent of Alabama churches did the same.
Martin added that many churches, associations and state conventions are working to make their reports in the Southern Baptist Directory Services, making VBS numbers more available.
Blakeney encouraged all SBC churches to report online through the Directory Services, no matter what curriculum they used. Churches can go online at www.lifeway.com/sbds to find out more about online reporting.
Statistics for the 2002 VBS will be available in July 2003.
(BP, TAB)
Share with others: